What this world needs is a few more Rednecks
by Koala Penguin
Summary: Some people ain't afraid to take a stand. Less talk. More action. But what made Daryl Dixon the man he was today. Uses the characters in WD to a pre-ZA world. Ages may not fit exact. Depicts Daryl's abuse.
1. Chapter 1

Daryl's father had the radio on. The Charlie Daniels Band was playing:

_What this world needs is a few more rednecks_

His father was singing along wholeheartedly agreeing to the lyrics but Daryl wondered when his father last had sweat on his brow.

Daryl was trying to do his homework but couldn't concrete - not because of the noise but because his whole body was weak from a lack food and sore from the beatings with his father's belt. Suddenly a bottle of beer crashed on the trailer wall behind him. It made him flinch but he learnt how to swallow down his fear years ago.

"What ya doing boy?" His father slurred.

"Homework." Daryl looked down as he responded not daring to meet his father's angry eyes just yet. Delaying the inevitable hurt for a slight moment longer.

"Stupid boy. Wastin' time." His father chuckled to himself. "What ya doin' homework for? Tryin' to make sumthin' of ya? Tell ya sumthin' for nuthin' ya worthless piece o shit. Ain't ya gonna be nuthin' but that" His father then cuffed Daryl's head and followed it through with a solid punch in the stomach that left Daryl crouching and gasping for air. "Now git workin'"

As Daryl slowly went outside to get on with his chores he wondered why he was trying to complete his homework too. He was no good at it and didn't enjoy it. He preferred working with his hands and it took him twice as long to read and write as everyone else did. Plus he knew he had to keep the farm going. It was only him now though his father didn't appreciate it. His brother had left years ago, as soon as the Army would accept him but they soon spat him back out again. If Daryl didn't bring in the food or wood then there would be no half-full bellies or warmth.

His grandfather's farm in the mountains of North Georgia was where Daryl now lived. It wasn't much of a farm but it was self-sufficient. Merle had no time for pansy-asses that lived in the town so neither did he. The farm was it for him. There was a river for water and fish, a garden full of onions, green beans and tomatoes, chickens for eggs, a cow for milk and then there was the forest to hunt in for meat and to get wood for the fire. When his grandfather was alive they made enough to sell for clothes and fuel for the truck but now they had to scavenge for those things. It was Daryl's job to make sure all this was done but it was a 3 man job that was impossible to do by himself. But if he didn't keep the farm going his father wouldn't hesitate to take his belt to him. It wasn't that bad. At least it wasn't the old riding crop. The horse and cart were long gone but the whip still worked. It hurt like hell, felt like his skin was on fire and it had given him deep bleeding cuts all down his back. A belt, unless the buckle end was used, didn't result in tearing the skin like the crop did. Daryl knew his brother had found that out first since as much as it hurt receiving it, it felt worst hearing it. He remembered his first whipping like yesterday and had the ingrained scars to remind him. It was the first time his father had taken him out hunting. It was to show him the ropes. They had tracked a buck and when it was time to shoot Daryl had stepped on a branch making it break under his foot. The noise from the breaking branch startled the buck and it ran away. He had costed them their food and he knew he had to pay for that. After the whipping, Daryl knew never to make a mistake again whilst hunting, tracking and navigating with his father. He became an expert. It was what he was good at but in this day and age what good was hunting.

As Daryl took to mending the chicken coop his coarse shirt was rubbing against his welts. It made the easy job of unbending and stretching out the broken strands of the wire into a painful one. He took a break but at that moment Daryl's father came out of the trailer ready to wail on him some more. They had lived in a trailer ever since his mother burnt down the house in town with her chain smoking of Virginia Slims. He suspected his father hated living back out on the farm and took most of that hate out on him. There was no one there to hear him get kicked around so his father lost all restraint. The farm house that was once there had fallen down in a hurricane just after his grandfather died. Daryl never had the energy to fix it up.

"What ya doin' there boy? Stoppin'?" Daryl's father grabbed his son's hair and punched him hard across his face "Bone lazy. That's what ya are. Useless bit o trash." Daryl's father then dropped him in the dirt. That was what Daryl felt like - dirt at the bottom of his father's feet. His father kicked him in the back causing pain to run through his body. "It shoulda been ya that wasted in that fire. It should been ya!" Another kick forced Daryl into deeper pain and caused him to see black. Once his father was done with him his father went back into the trailer to watch the game.

Daryl was a mean fighter once provoked. There was no doubting that. No-body outside his clan was going to touch him and if they did he saw red. At school he was always getting in trouble for starting a fight, mainly with the asshole Shane Walsh – that and not doing his homework. He tried to keep his head down but they labelled him as slow since he couldn't read too well and he would come to school smelling of the farm since he didn't have much water to wash in after his father used it. The chickenshits just had to rip into him with their looks and snide comments. The teachers lectured him but they didn't want to deal with his father so they never followed through their threats of calling Mr Dixon to deal with Daryl's behavioral problem. Teachers didn't really care and he didn't give a shit that they didn't care. He didn't care what anyone said.

_"What you need is good tanning, boy? Maybe I'll call your father to deliver it" Mr Lawson would say. Daryl scoffed at that. A good tanning was lost on him or so Daryl thought. His father could beat him until he was near dead and still he couldn't do anything right. _

The only people who could wail on him were his father and brother. He took it from his father because he had no choice. He tried to run away once and just ended up starving, getting the runs from eating wild berries and having an itchy arse from using poison oak as toilet paper. Nobody gave a shit that he was missing. His brother was just trying to toughen him up. Merle wanted him to learn how to take the licks in life. Daryl couldn't ever really fight Merle. Though Merle would probably kick his ass if he tried. What would Merle think if he saw him now?

_"What's goin' on here? Ya takin' a siesta or sumthin'?" Merle kicked his feet._

_"Shitty day, bro'." Daryl sighed trying to lift himself up._

_"Would ya like me to get ya a pillow? Maybe rub your feet?" Merle taunted him some more._

_"Screw you." Daryl now leapt up ready to take on Merle but Merle had a twinkle in his eye knowing that he had succeeded in getting his little brother on his feet. _

_"Come on Darylena. Don't be like that." To Merle, Daryl was a little shit but he loved him just the same._

Merle hadn't been back home to see his kin for a few years and Daryl missed him. Daryl couldn't blame Merle for wanting to leave home and even though Daryl resented that he was alone he knew he would stay. He had the forest with its game and the forest sustained him. That and the whisky he stole from his father after his father was too blind drunk to notice that it was actually him that finished the bottle.

Daryl slowly got himself off the dirt. His body was more than just achingly sore now but he still had work to do.

A car rolled up just as Daryl was about to get working again. A teenager about his age got out of the car "Did you order a pizza?"

"Not me." Daryl sighed knowing that his father ordered it but that they had no money to pay for it. Daryl thought the pizza must've come from the new place in town since most of the other places knew not to bother with the Dixon's unless they wanted to lose money or suffer pain.

"This is Oakley farm isn't it?" The teenager asked.

"Yeah. But I didn't order no pizza" Daryl hoped that the kid would get the message before his father came out and it became ugly because his father had no intention paying for what he ordered.

"There must be some mistake." The teenager insisted.

"Look Chinaman just fuck off if ya know what's good for you." Daryl ordered with a sneer. "This is Dixon property."

The Chinaman looked at him with annoyance but then got back in his car in a mixture of fear and anger after seeing that Daryl wasn't someone you messed with "Fuck you Dixon. My family isn't going to be delivering here no more. We heard all about you but we thought..."

"Then ya'd know not to come 'ere. Don't think. That's right Chinaman get the fuck out of 'ere. We don't want ya stinkin' pizza" Daryl had a smirk on. He loved how the Dixon name could strike fear into the hearts of anyone who lived in the nearby town. They were all chickenshit scared of them and so there was some bonuses to being part of his messed up clan.

Just as the pizza delivery man drove out of the farm Daryl's father came back out. "What did you do with my pizza, boy?"

Daryl took a deep breath. He knew he was in for one hell of a beating. But at least it was better than dealing with the Sheriff's Deputy for his father beating on the Chinaman. After that Daryl knew he was going to crawl his way into a bottle and drink his own troubles away. It was underage, illegal, but who was it really harming anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

Mr Rhee saw his son come back with the pizza he was supposed to deliver to Oakley Farm "No luck finding the place then, Glenn"

"I found the place but they didn't want the pizza" Glenn tentatively replied.

"Prank call?" Mr Rhee sighed. "I should've listened to folks around here. But I thought I'd give them a chance. Share the pizza with your sisters or there's leftover pot roast from yesterday."

"I'll take the pizza. Dad, when I was about to drive away I saw Mr Dixon come out so I stayed a bit longer to see if they'd changed their minds." Glenn began in a shaken voice but stopped. He was still in shock at what he saw.

"What happened next?" Mr Rhee coaxed his son to tell him some more. He knew Glenn was upset by whatever happened.

"I saw Mr Dixon punch his son. Not just once but over and over. I don't know what happen to cause that but his son just took it." Glenn looked at his father ashamed. "I didn't do anything. I just came back here."

Mr Rhee listened to his son and then finished for him "and then told me. You did the right thing. You could've been hurt too if you did more. I'll talk to Sheriff Grimes."

* * *

><p>Sheriff Grimes was concerned to receive a phone call from Mr Rhee that his son witnessed Daryl Dixon get beaten by his father. The Sheriff called the local medical center and knew that the boy hadn't been taken there. That didn't mean anything as far as he was concerned though. The Dixon's didn't do hospitals.<p>

Sheriff Grimes looked through Daryl Dixon's record. The boy had been arrested a few times for trespassing on private woodland, underage drinking and driving without a licence. The other charges for assault and petty theft were usually with his older brother Merle Dixon. The boy who was considered trouble wasn't that much trouble at all when his older brother wasn't there to put him into trouble. Sheriff Grimes needed to reconsider Daryl Dixon.

Sheriff Grimes went into the living room and spoke to his own boy Rick. Rick was sitting with his best friend Shane at the kitchen table. They were helping each other revise for tomorrow's test.

"Boys, what do you know of Daryl Dixon?" Sheriff Grimes asked them.

"He's a dumb-ass. A smelly one at that. Can't be bothered to wash in the morning." Shane snickered.

Rick rolled his eyes knowing that his father wasn't going to be happy with Shane's contempt for a fellow human being.

"Is that how you treat him at school?" Sheriff Grimes asked in a voice that clearly displayed his disapproval.

"He gave me a black eye." Shane defended himself knowing that his mouth had put him in trouble again.

"Was that before or after you mocked his personal circumstances?" Sheriff Grimes pursued his line of inquiry in the same disapproving voice.

"All he is is White trash! That's what all the Dixon's are." Shane retorted angrily. He didn't liked to be pulled up on his behavior. Normally, teachers automatically took his side when it came to Daryl Dixon.

"Watch your mouth Shane or I'll talk to your father" Sheriff now turned to his own boy. "What do you think Rick?"

"He's quiet. Doesn't say much." Rick answered honestly but then felt disloyal to Shane "No-body likes him though."

"Ever tried to get to know him?" Sheriff Grimes asked matter-of-factly. He wouldn't allow his son to get away with siding with Shane on this.

"No, sir." Rick suddenly felt ashamed. He should've tried to get to know Daryl Dixon before making judgments about him.

Sheriff Grimes examined his boy and took it easy on him seeing that Rick was truly feeling sorry. "We all did the same thing. Learn from this, Rick. Ok?"

Rick nodded his agreement.

* * *

><p>Sheriff Grimes went to Oakley farm. It looked empty so he went away but was determined to catch-up with Daryl Dixon at school. If the boy needed help he was going to give it to him.<p>

* * *

><p>Daryl Dixon was at the back of the class having arrived early. It was painful to sit and he was feeling exhausted after spending a harsh night in the outdoors. He knew he was going to struggle to stay awake in his class. Daryl had received a hammering last night and all he wanted was to get through the day without a problem. He saw the teacher look at him and he glared right back. Daryl knew then that today he wasn't going to be given any breaks. Daryl Dixon had learned to fend for himself and adopted a hard-boiled survivalist mindset. His gut instinct was normally exact.<p>

"What happened to your face?" Mr Richards demanded an answer but already knew what the reply would be.

"A fight." Daryl shrugged.

"Another one." Mr Richards was full of sarcasm. "Did you get time to do your paper between fighting? It's no excuse if you haven't"

The other students filed into the classroom and they all seemed to be smirking at Daryl for getting told off by their teacher. All except Rick Grimes. Rick Grimes was just looking at the fresh ugly bruises and how thin Daryl Dixon actually was. Out of all those looks, Daryl hated the way Rick was looking at him. It was pity and Daryl couldn't stand to be pitied.

"Answer me!" Mr Richards insisted. Mr Richards suddenly sniffed and then took a step back adding a bit more to Daryl's public humiliation. Mr Richards couldn't care. The boy had unwashed, matted hair and noticeable body odor. It was clear that Daryl Dixon had no sense of hygiene, decorum and respectability."Well?"

"No." Daryl gave his answer fully aware that he was going to be giving another detention. Daryl couldn't afford to do detentions. He had work to do and if he didn't do it there would be a repeat of last night. Daryl wondered why he even bothered turning up for school anymore. He knew it was because his dad didn't want the hassle of dealing with his attendance record. But Daryl felt that he was always damned if he did and damned if didn't. Was there any point any more?

"Is Daryl Dixon in this class?" Mr Lawson entered the classroom with Sheriff Grimes.

"He's here." Mr Richards nodded to the boy who he was only half done humiliating.

Daryl was trying to run through his head what he did for the Sheriff to come after him when he heard the jeers, the loud rude and mocking remarks, from the class. "Dixon's finally gonna get it." "You'll be a prison bitch in no time." "You wanna practice right 'ere redneck."

"Knock it off." Mr Lawson shouted.

Sheriff Grimes looked at the kid in the corner of the classroom. He was exceptionally thin, his clothing was worn down and bruises were evident on every part of his body that was visible. Sheriff Grimes had to wonder if anyone ever looked properly at this kid or did they just see the Dixon name?

"Daryl come with us." Mr Lawson ordered.

Daryl shakily got to his feet and followed Mr Lawson and Sheriff Grimes to the School Nurse.

"Why the fuckin' hell are we going in 'ere?" Daryl coarsely asked.

"Less of the language." Mr Lawson responded less callously than he normally would. He was feeling guilty for missing an obvious case of abuse. All the Sheriff had done was mention that he wanted to speak to Daryl due to a reported domestic incident and Mr Lawson quickly placed the puzzle together. It was all making sense now - the half-hearted but believable explanations for some nasty injuries, the switch between being mostly withdrawn and then suddenly aggressive, and the constant watchfulness and being alert. The Sheriff had said it could wait until the end of class but Mr Lawson wanted to know the truth.

"Take a seat Daryl. Here's an egg white Delight McMuffin." Sheriff Grimes placed the food in front of Daryl, hoping that Daryl would see it as a friendship offering.

Daryl looked at it, his mouth watered, his stomach grumbled but he then said "Ain't hungry."

It was a lie. Daryl was hungry but there was no way he was accepting that food. He wasn't going to sell out for that.

"Daryl, yesterday we got a report of a domestic disturbance at Oakley farm. Do you have anything to say about that?" Sheriff Grimes got straight to the point after having the food rejected. He knew the good cop routine wasn't going to work on Daryl Dixon.

Daryl casted his mind back to yesterday. He was sure the Chinaman had left before his father took his fists to him again. There was no explanation to why the Sheriff's department would've received a report.

Daryl sluggishly replied with a slight smirk "How anyone could've reported us is beyond me? We're the only farm in the area. But then again I'm a bit slow. Anyone moved out there recently?"

Mr Lawson knew that Daryl wasn't slow but lazy. Daryl Dixon didn't try. The boy's mandatory Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery results had come back proving that Daryl's skills and abilities were extremely high. But Daryl had no interest of being of use to his country and would never consider joining the Armed Services. His brother told him it was a waste of time and therefore it was.

"Was there an incident last night?" Sheriff Grimes continued his questioning.

"Not that I recall." Daryl answered back again in his slow southern drawl.

"Care to explain where you got the bruises from." Sheriff Grimes asked another question.

"A fight. Sum guys jumped me on me way home from school." Daryl lied nervously since he knew where this was going. But he didn't understand why now. When he was little there were questions about his home life and he was taught well to side step them. He knew that if he didn't reassure the Sheriff that all was well at Oakley farm, his father was going to beat him so bad he might not even wake up from it.

"You know who they are?" Sheriff Grimes continued to question Daryl.

"Nope." Daryl looked the Sheriff in the eye hoping that it would cause the Sheriff to believe his story. "It happened pretty fast."

"Whereabouts did it happen? We can see if there is CCTV available." Sheriff Grimes hated interrogating a boy without legal representation and who was in no fit state to answer his questions but he had little choice. He didn't want to get Will Dixon involved just yet.

"As I said. It happened pretty fast." Daryl was feeling scared. Why couldn't the Sheriff let it drop!

"Bit of a coincidence that you're all beaten up on the day we get a report of a domestic disturbance on the farm. Huh?" The Sheriff tried one more time.

Daryl shrugged.

Sheriff Grimes took his hat off. He felt powerless. He knew the kid was lying but knew Daryl was never going to put his father in the frame. It was against his clan's code. Never talk. Family first. Even if they couldn't give a shit about you.

"Look if anything is going on at home we can do something about it. Get you safe." Mr Lawson promised. He knew he had failed the boy in front of him and doubted that he would ever get his trust but he too felt he had to give it one more try.

Daryl wanted to believe the promise but he knew it was bullshit. Nobody had cared in over ten years. Nobody could care now.

"Daryl, I understand why you don't want to say anything. I wish it was different but I understand." Sheriff Grimes sighed in defeat. "But you could do with something to eat so take the food, take a warm shower and change into these spare sweats."

"I ain't walkin around like a jock." Daryl scoffed.

"I ain't gonna force you to do anything you don't wanna do but I want ya to get checked out." Sheriff Grimes told Daryl firmly.

Daryl almost bolted. "I ain't going to no hospital. Nuthin' wrong with me."

"I figured but the school nurse will check you over to ensure nuthin' ain't wong." Sheriff Grimes wasn't going to take no for an answer. The boy needed some medical help and the nurse would be able to give at least the minimum.

The school nurse checked over Daryl in silence. She felt the broken ribs and she made a record of the multiple scars, bruises and cuts on Daryl's torso. She tried to mend him the best she could.

* * *

><p>Daryl's medical record was given to Sheriff Grimes and he was furious that this level of abuse was happening in his town. Daryl had been through more pain and suffering than he could've possibly imagined. What type of monster would use a horse whip on a kid? Will Dixon - that's who. He couldn't let this go. It was against his better judgment but he could not standby and let a kid get beat again.<p>

Sheriff Grimes pulled up outside Oakley farm. He noticed Will Dixon drinking whisky as he sat of the trailer steps reading the newspaper that Daryl got him first thing in the morning.

"Sheriff! What has the boys done now?" Will greeted. He was being overfriendly so that he could brush off the Sheriff and get back to his drinking quickly. The boys would pay for his trouble that night.

Sheriff Grimes heard the word boys. He didn't know Merle was back in his town and it was bad news if he was. "Is Merle around?"

Will clearly had no idea so said "He comes and goes. So what this about?"

"Daryl came into school with some mean lookin' bruises. Apparently he got jumped." Sheriff Grimes explained.

Will chuckled, remembering his own handy work "That boy is always rubbin' someone up the wrong way."

"How you mean?" Sheriff Grimes kept the anger out of his voice but he defended the youngest Dixon by saying "Daryl seems to be a quiet sort."

"Don't let the kid fool you." Will told the Sheriff "He may act all sweet but that boy has the devil in him."

Sheriff Grimes couldn't help but think that he was looking at the devil himself right now. Only the devil could beat his kid the way Daryl had been beaten. "Why didn't you call the doc yesterday when he came home like that? If it was my boy I would've made sure he got seen to."

"But he ain't your boy. My boy is a heavy piece o shit that needs to be brought into line. He's always lazing around. He never brings enough home. He's always with the back talk. I've struggled with him. I can tell ya that" Will was looking for sympathy. "I hate to say it. But he is what he is. I've done my best for him but he's just like his brother"

"Is that what you did yesterday? Did you discipline him?" Sheriff Grimes could barely say the word discipline to describe what was happening to Daryl.

"Not yet. But it's due. Boy. It is due!" As Will said these words he was thinking what he was going to do when Daryl came home. The boy wouldn't have any skin left untouched with the whip by the time he was done. The boy wouldn't be able to walk or sit down for at least a week.

But Sheriff Grimes had enough and dropped his own act. Sheriff Grimes suddenly grabbed Will Dixon by the cuff of his neck. "It's quiet out here. No-one around to see or hear what's going on. I get that" Sheriff Grimes then punched Will in the stomach. Will fell to the floor. Will was groaning in pain but Sheriff Grimes couldn't care. He read the state that boy's back was in and he wasn't going to let that happen again. "You're not going to touch him. Your son wouldn't say it was you but we both know it was. If Daryl so much as turns up with a booboo in town and I get to hear it I'll pin the numerous of unsolved cases that I have in my draw on you just to get you away from him. Do I make myself clear?" Will didn't respond so Sheriff Grimes shook him "I said do I make myself clear!"

Will nodded his head. He felt done for. But he knew one thing for sure. Daryl Dixon was no longer welcomed at Oakley Farm.

* * *

><p>Daryl didn't own much but what he did own could fit in a duffel bag. He also took with him the crossbow. His father used a gun for hunting but he always preferred his uncle's Stryker Strykezone 380 crossbow.<p>

"Ya alright little bro. Got yer call" Merle rolled up on his motorbike. Merle examined his brother and knew that Daryl was hurting. He wondered how many beatings Daryl had taken to get in this state.

"Dad finally chucked me out. Ain't got nowhere to go." Daryl revealed. He was ashamed to ask for help.

"I'm surprised ya didn't leave earlier. If I stayed any longer and got hit one more time I'd have killed him." Merle would've sworn blind that he almost did. "Well hop on board Darylena. We got places to go."

Merle revved up the bike after Daryl got on the back and they were on their way. Two brothers against the world. The way it should be.

Daryl didn't know where he was heading. He could guess it was probably trouble and he would no longer have the peace and quiet of the forest but he had nowhere else to go.


	3. Chapter 3

"Lil bro, this is what ya need ta take yer troubles away." Merle slurred to Daryl as he was burning crystal meth on a spoon. Merle often used a little of what he dealt.

"Be there when I com' down." Daryl was far from stupid when it came to drugs. He took pot once in while but didn't touch anything else. He knew there was no such thing as a permanent escape. It was just a temporary lift. A way to forget. But he always had the forest for that. Merle on the other hand wasn't a natural hunter. He could keep his mind on a hunt but he was brawler through and through.

Merle looked at Daryl as if he was a pussy for not wanting to try crystal meth. Daryl looked ashamed at himself. He couldn't do anything right. He couldn't please anyone. But he was also stubborn and he wasn't going to try that shit.

"I got pills too." Merle chucked a bottle at Daryl seeing that stubbornness enter his brother's eyes. "Ya need an upper. Take those."

"Merle, I dunno. This has never been me way." Daryl tried to resist the pressure. He knew this was a bad idea even if it was just a legal high.

"Take 'em." Merle ordered Daryl and Daryl couldn't say no anymore. He opened the bottle and swallowed a pill. Merle smirked as he did it. "Welcome to my world lil' bro."

* * *

><p>"I'm just gonna go in there and grab some booze. Stay 'ere. Keep the motor runnin'" Merle ordered Daryl.<p>

"We ain't got no money Merle. How we're gonna pay for it?" Daryl didn't have to ask the question. He knew what was going down. He just wanted to confirm that the craziness had just begun.

Merle chuckled. "You're a fuckin' joke, bro. Ya know that. As I said keep the fuckin' motor running."

Merle walked into the liquor store and started to openly pick up bottles of whisky. He tried to walk out without paying for them but the store owner blocked his way with a rifle. Daryl looked on in shock. He prayed that Merle wouldn't get hurt. But he thought this was stupid shit that Merle should never have pulled.

Daryl could see Merle chuckle and say something he couldn't make out. The store owner butted Merle with the rifle and Daryl knew he had to do something. He ran in and got between the owner and Merle. The store owner was going to hit Daryl with the rifle but he dodge it and punched the store owner. He couldn't see another way to protect himself but more importantly he had to protect Merle who was feeling dizzy after the knock.

"We're leavin' ok!" Daryl shouted at the owner.

"Not with my liquor. Hand it over boy!" The owner demanded. He was hurt by Daryl's punch but was making a quick recovery.

"We ain't givin' back shit." Merle replied with a smirk.

Daryl knew that was going to get even uglier. "He's gonna call the cops, Merle. We gotta go! Now!"

"Don't say me name! But ya right." Merle abruptly punched the owner so that he was knocked out. Merle then opened the cash register. "Ya know I was just gonna take the liqor but now I gonna take yer money too!" Merle chuckled even louder. Daryl looked on. He couldn't believe what his brother was doing. Merle now had handfuls of dollar bills in his hand "Quit starin'. Smash up the CCTV. Smash it up good."

Daryl did what he was told because what choice did he have. He stepped over the owner's body and ripped out the video from the machine. He tore the tape to bits.

* * *

><p>"Ya know how we're gonna spend this?" Merle slurred. Daryl shook his head. Merle grinned. "Women."<p>

"How ya mean? We gonna to Jackson's?" Daryl referred to the local bar thinking that Merle wanted to chat up a girl. Daryl knew he wouldn't have the courage to do it. He'd just a drink a cool beer.

"Na. Why hunt for it when ya can shop for it?" Merle wondered when his brother was going to grow up. "Wait 'ere."

Merle came back with two women. The one on Merle's arm was a washed-out blond bombshell. She had a tiny waist and big breasts. Her blond hair was following but she was caked in make-up and looked like she had forgotten how to smile years ago. The woman behind her was timid and looked worn out which was more apparent with the lack of make up on. She had short red hair, a tattoo on her neck and a nose stud. There were track marks on her arms.

"This is me bro. A virgin." Merle sneered at Daryl as he said the last word but then ordered the red head "Ya know what to do. Get to it." The red head sat on the sofa next to Daryl and started to stoke his leg. She started to nibble Daryl's ear. Daryl was as stiff as a board not quiet knowing what to do but he also felt his groin stirring causing him to be even more confused.

Merle looked at the scene with a smirk and then went to his room leading the blond bombshell with him. In no time at all loud groans and fake screams of ecstasy was filling the tiny apartment.

"What's your name?" Daryl enquired. He was feeling awkward at being touched in an intimate manner by someone who was a complete stranger to him.

"Name's Dallas" The red head murmured against his ear.

"That your real name?" Daryl asked but doubted it. The red head didn't respond. She just upped her effort to turn Daryl on. Daryl decided "I won't call you Dallas. I just won't call you anything at all."

"That's best darlin'. Look I ain't gonna bite. This ain't gonna hurt" The red head encouraged Daryl to let go of his restraint.

Daryl got a full on erection and was even more confused. He didn't even think the red head was pretty and yet he gotten an erection. What did it mean?

The red head undid his belt and lowered his trousers. She continued doing her moves.

Daryl thought it felt great to be touched like this. It was electrifying and intimate. Daryl stroked Dallas' face.

"This doesn't mean anything kid. It's just a BJ." The red head warned.

Daryl nodded. It was great. But it felt empty. Meaningless. So he said "I don't wanna do this."

"Merle's paying me." The red head pointed out. "Just sit back and relax. I'll do the rest."

"I don't care." Daryl said through gritted teeth. He trying hard not to enjoy himself.

"He'll only hassle you." The red head reasoned. She couldn't just snap out of the hooker mode she was in.

"Merle can fuck off." Daryl said in barely a whisper.

"Ok. Ok. I need this money and Merle won't pay up if I don't deliver" The red head reasoned and then suggested "Let's just say we did it and talk. Ok?"

"Ok." Daryl agreed. He then let the red head babble on about tattoos. They sounded cool and he liked the way they looked. He could imagine the ones he would get. Two demons on his back. One was his father. The other was Merle. They were demons but they were also his family. There was no way to get away from them.


	4. Chapter 4

"I got ya a Christmas present." Merle announced as he entered the bar.

"Dixon's don't do Christmas Merle." Daryl looked up from the game. "Remember there ain't no such thing as Santa Claus" Daryl looked at a round burn scar on his hand. It was giving to him by his father for asking if Santa Claus was coming since it had been mentioned in school.

"This is yer truck now. Enjoy it." Merle ignored what Daryl said as he handed him the keys. He hated being reminded of his fucked up childhood and that he hadn't always protected Daryl from their father's rages.

"Where ya get it from?" Daryl was basically asking if Merle stole it. Daryl earned money by doing odd manual labor jobs but Merle normally just took anything he wanted or dealt drugs.

Merle didn't care if Daryl thought he stole it but knew that Daryl wouldn't drive it if it was. The boy was too honest for his own good. So Merle drawled "It ain't stolen if that is what you meant. A deal went well and ya can't keep riding behind me like a bitch."

Daryl felt the keys in his hand and gave a rare smile "Thanks Merle. I know it can't be easy me trailing around after you since dad kicked me out. I don't know what I would do without you. I know I owe ya man" Daryl was being sincere but Merle couldn't stand emotions. Merle loved his brother but he couldn't do the mushy stuff.

Merle shook his head "Stop being a girl Darylena. We don't owe each other anything. We're brothers. We only have each other."

* * *

><p>Daryl was breaking his back as a low paid lumberjack. It was the first steady job he had in the years since he left school. Like all lumberjacks he worked outside in bitter cold and blazing heat, running heavy, dangerous machinery which dealt with massive trees and logs that could slip and cause serious injury at any moment. But he loved working in the woods where he belonged. His brother thought he was a joke for doing it but it was honest work. That's all Daryl ever wanted - a job he had a chance of holding on too and paid enough for a roof over his head. He had tried to be a taxi driver in Atlanta but there was always too much competition to get a good wage and there was always some drunk punk who wouldn't pay up. The punk always got worst off but then he had to go to the cops to explain his actions.<p>

Daryl was sawing away at a stubborn tree trunk when the manager of his firm came over to him. Daryl finished his task before switching off the chain saw.

Daryl took off his ear defenders before saying "Ya wanted to see me sir?"

"The position of supervisor is opening up. I need you to take it. I know you said no a thousand times before but I need your help." The manager was practically pleading with him to take the promotion. Daryl didn't say anything but the manager knew a no was coming his way again. "I don't know why you don't take it. The men respect you. It's more money. It gets you out of the shitty jobs and in the warmth."

"I like the outdoors and I'm not really the type of man who could tell another man what ta do. I'm no good with reading and numbers either." Daryl gave the same explanation.

"You gotta be kidding me when you say you're no good at numbers. I've played cards with you." The manager joked but was clearly disappointed by the rejection. "And you can read enough to read the newspaper. Look Daryl you've worked damn hard for my company for a couple of years now. You deserve a reward."

"It just ain't for me." Daryl gave a final no.

"Well you deserve something. I'm making you employee of the year and sending you to all inclusive trip to Miami. Take your good for nothing brother with you." The manager turned around, rubbing his head thinking who he could promote instead.

Daryl let the comment about his brother slide. Merle had been caught stealing tools using Daryl's keys. The manager had let Daryl off the hook seeing that he was a good man trying his best despite living under his brother's shadow. Merle was ordered to pay a fine which Daryl paid off instead.

* * *

><p>Daryl didn't make it to Miami with Merle. Merle had got himself arrested before making it to the airport on another petty drugs charge. Daryl didn't want go by himself but at the airport he met Susan Walker, a young brunette who was a flight attendant. She had caught her suitcase in the escalator and Daryl had helped her get it undone. To say thank you she took for him coffee. Unusually for Daryl he found her easy to converse with.<p>

"So do you often rescue damsels in distress?" Susan jokingly asked as she put the coffees on the table.

Daryl didn't respond but looked a touch bashful.

"Are you travelling for business or pleasure?" Susan tried a more serious question to get Daryl to open up.

"I was employee of the year. The vacation was a reward but me brother just used his one phone call ta tell he can't make it." Daryl explained.

Susan could tell by Daryl's use of words that his brother had ended up in jail somehow but also didn't want to explain the how so she said jovially "Well congratulations on being the best employee your company has. What is it you do for a living?"

"I'm a lumberjack." Daryl answered.

"Which must mean you have a mean set of muscles on you!" Susan joked again with a sweet smile. This time Daryl burst out laughing at Susan's frank observation.

Daryl quickly fell hard for the pretty girl that took the trouble to get to know him but it all too quickly came to an end.

Susan was always working long unsociable hours and was often covering sickness, delays or extra flights. He hardly got to see her and one date after another got cancelled. But through long distance phone calls he fell deep in love. He loved her voice and the way she talked, he would listen for hours about the different people she met. The good, the bad and the ugly. But then Susan got diagnosed with epilepsy so she decided to move back to New York to be with her parents.

"Susan please stay here with me. I'll take care of ya. I'll get a promotion at work. My boss wanted to promote me ages ago. I'll get a proper place for us. Please stay." Daryl was pleading Susan to give him a chance. He had never felt close to anyone before he met Susan.

"Daryl I care for you. I do. But you haven't known me long enough to support me in that way. It isn't fair!" Susan tried to reason with Daryl and herself. Her head told it was an impossible situation but her heart was telling her to take the risk and that in the end it would be worth it.

"Please Susan. I love ya. I don't care that it hasn't be long. I know ya better than anyone else" Daryl would be on his hands and knees if it wasn't for the fact he was on the phone again with Susan rather than face-to-face.

"We've had two dates! We haven't even got past third base yet" Susan was is despair. She didn't know how long she could resist Daryl's heart felt pleas.

"And like a thousand hours on the phone. It has been physically impossible to meet but it hasn't been without trying." Daryl pointed out almost in anger but mostly in desperation.

"I'm sorry Daryl but it's over. Don't come to my flat Daryl and don't follow me either. I need to deal with my condition on my own and not rely on someone I don't really know" Susan hanged up the phone and broke down into sobs. She chucked her phone at the wall knowing that she had just thrown away the love of her life.

Daryl respected Susan's wishes and didn't try to contact her again. He felt she was just using her medical condition as a reason to get rid of the sack of shit she managed to get lumbered with. Suddenly Daryl became more closed off than ever before even though he himself didn't think it was possible. Daryl's experience of falling in love was a bitter sweet one and he felt he couldn't risk his heart again. It was all to painful and he felt he wasn't destined to be a husband or father. Someone a wife or children had to rely on. He wanted those things but he just needed to take a close look at his genetic make-up to realise it was a fruitless dream. In the end Daryl thought the break-up with Susan was for the best.

* * *

><p>Rick and Shane had joined the Sheriff's department. Rick had wanted to follow his father's footsteps and serve his town. Shane on the other hand enjoyed the power the position brought him. Rick always thought that they had perfected the good cop bad cop routine. The truth was that Rick kept Shane in line. Sheriff Grimes knew that better than anyone.<p>

Rick had taken some time off work since Lori had recently giving birth to their baby boy Carl. Shane was therefore partnered with a new deputy. Shane saw Daryl's truck go at the legal speed limit but Shane wanted to put Daryl in his place. He therefore flagged Daryl's truck down.

Shane turned to the new deputy. "This fucker is trouble. Needs ta be taught a lesson if you get my meaning. Let me do the talking but get your baton out."

Daryl pulled his truck over. He wondered if his rear light had gone again. He waited for the deputy to come over and sighed when he saw it was Shane. The fucker had always liked to laud it over him.

"Well if it isn't dirty dumb-ass Dixon" Shane sneered.

"What can I do for you Officer Walsh?" Daryl asked politely, containing his anger. He wanted this to go smoothly so that Merle who was just behind him on his bike wouldn't have any reason to get involved.

"Get out of the car." Shane ordered.

Daryl got out of the car. He saw the deputy behind Shane get his baton out. Daryl slightly shuffled backwards and forwards readying himself for the blows that he knew if he defended himself against would result in a prison sentence. It was the same shuffle he did when he was about to be beaten by his father. Merle saw it in the distance but instead of going to his brother's aid immediately waited. He wanted the element of surprise when he kicked the Deputy's ass. He had gone to prison before and he would go to prison again for his brother if had to.

Shane inspected the truck. He saw the crossbow. "You got a licence for that."

"A licence for what?" Daryl was confused since he knew Shane wasn't referring to the truck.

"The bow dickhead." Shane smirked. "You need a licence for hunting."

"I didn't know but I'll get one." Daryl shrugged. He hadn't done anything recently for the authorities not to give him a licence.

Glenn was delivering a pizza whilst at the same time wondering what his life had come to. He was bright and destined to go to college but his parents just couldn't fund it after their restaurant burnt down in a random arson attack. Glenn knew it wasn't random but a racially motivated attack on his family. Instead of going to college he went to trade school and continued working for his parents since his dad had got injured in the fire. The restaurant one day would be his but in the meantime his life felt stagnant. As he drove to the block of apartments he saw Shane pick on Daryl. It was like they hadn't left high school years ago. Glenn knew that he had to do something so he stopped his car and got out.

"Shane what's going on here man?" Glenn asked as he walked over to him.

"Glenn this doesn't concern you." Shane warned.

"Maybe it doesn't. But I know what discrimination is and I'm not standing for it. Every small town I came across as a kid I expected prejudice for being the Chinaman. But I think the only reason why I didn't get it here was because there was another fall guy already. Leave him alone Shane or I'll report whatever goes down here to Sheriff Grimes." Glenn threatened.

Shane considered Glenn's words and nodded. He didn't want to lose his job so turned to Daryl. "It looks like ya got a reprieve. Get going before I change my mind."

Daryl turned to get back in his truck. As he was about to drive off he shouted to Glenn "Thanks man I owe you one."

Glenn raised his hand in acknowledgement.


	5. Chapter 5

When the shit came down Daryl and Merle had been smoking pot with Merle's buddies.

For them, it had started with a few stories on the TV that a virus had swept the globe. Measures had been put in place at the border to prevent the virus entering the US. Merle quickly changed the TV channel to a porn one though Daryl had wanted to see the footage sensing that the danger was very real for all of them.

The next morning they were woken up by megaphone telling them they had one hour to pack an emergency kit and evacuate the city. Daryl and Merle more or less lived in their vehicles so got going straight away as Merle's buddies went back to their apartments.

Merle looked at Daryl and saw a glimmer of fear in his eyes "You ok Darylena?"

"Never felt better bro! Ya got all ya need?" Daryl asked. He was referring to drugs knowing how his brother could be without them and how hard it would be to get them in the eventual chaos.

"Always do bro." Merle confirmed. "Let's hit the road before it's get jammed."

As Merle and Daryl entered the alley way to where their vehicles were parked they came across two women who looked like they were spaced-out.

"How ya doin' ladies?" Merle asked with a grin. "It's not a day to be out about. How about we give ya a lift?"

One of the woman approached Merle and started to put arm around him. At first it seemed like a drunk hug until she violently and quickly try to claw him. Merle was quick to deliver a backhander and the women fell to the floor. Daryl was staring at the other women and realised that she shouldn't be alive. She had grey colored skin, yellowish vacant eyes and half of her mouth was missing. Daryl could only think _"What the fuck!"_

Merle saw that the other woman was trying bite Daryl's neck so he got his gun and pistol whipped her from behind. "What the fuck are ya doin' just standin' there?"

"Look at 'em Merle. Fuckin' look at 'em. Do they look normal to ya?" Daryl pointed out. "You just shot her and she isn't even groaning in pain. This is fuckin' weird shit!"

"I ain't gonna disagree Daryl." Merle replied after taking a closer look at the two women who were coming back at them again. This time Merle grabbed the women's head and smashed it against a wall. Daryl pushed the other women against the crates and pinned her down with a broken chair. "Don't fuck around Daryl! Kill the bitch. Here ya big girl I'll do it." Merle then shot her in the head.

"Fuck Merle! What we gonna do?" Daryl asked his brother.

"Hell bells if I know sweetheart but we can't stay here." Merle rubbed his head with his hand and then suggested. "I'll put my bike on your truck and we'll think of something on the road. We gotta get going."

The mass evacuations of cities had quickly got the roads jammed. In less than an hour the brothers had gotten stuck in the traffic jams that were full of cars heading for the makeshift military protected camps in the outskirts of the city.

The brothers weren't heading to the camps themselves since Merle's army experience had left him disinclined to be under military thumb again. They were heading back to the farm. Their father wouldn't be pleased but the brothers couldn't give a shit right now. There was nowhere else to go and at the farm they would be able to sustain themselves.

"I'm tired of this shit. I'm going back to the outdoor store we saw a couple of miles back. Get some supplies." Merle said through a yawn.

"Good plan. We need water purifying tablets, batteries for our flashlights, plastic sheeting and duct tape for shelter, and ammo." Daryl reeled off a list of necessities.

"Ya think I was born yesterday?" Merle rhetorically asked as he jumped out of the truck and went to get his bike off the back.

* * *

><p>Will Dixon came out of caravan, gun in hand, when he heard a truck pull up. He looked at his boys with disgust.<p>

"I told ya never to come back here boy." Will moved towards Daryl.

Daryl braced himself not yet prepared to hit his own father but Merle got between him and Will. "We're stayin' alright. Back off."

Daryl looked around at the farm and felt ashamed about the state it was in. It was more run down than ever before. It looked like no crops had been tended to since he left and all that was there were weeds. The axe for chopping wood was shown some signs of rust but was salvageable, fences were broken, the chicken coop no longer had chickens in it but remnants of a carcass and the bucket for collecting milk from the cow was full of cigarette butts. Daryl wondered what happened to the cow.

"I like what ya've done with the place." Daryl sarcastically commented, fully expecting to pay for having a smart mouth. Will took the bait and took a swing at Daryl. Daryl dodged. "Ya gonna have ta try a bit harder now."

"and ya gonna have ta get through me first." Merle barked at Will and Will backed off. Merle took a moment before saying "How have ya been holdin' up?"

"They don't bother me. No one bothers me. I got me whisky and I can still roast a cottontail on a kindling fire. Which reminds me I want my bow back boy!" Will menacingly turned to Daryl.

Merle responded instead "That always belonged to Daryl. Uncle Bob left it to him. You barely know how to use the thing so knock it off."

"You ain't stayin' 'ere" Will stated again.

"Yeah we are." Merle retorted. He sat down in his father's deck chair, took one of the beers that was beside the chair and drank it.

* * *

><p>Daryl woke up early the next morning and fetched some water from the well. He wanted to heat the water over a fire so that he could have a proper wash. To do that he need to get some logs for a fire. Daryl got the axe and started to sharpen it with the razor strop that his father used to frequently give him a hiding with. On the edges of the razor strop was his dried up blood. It had slashed into his skin more times than he cared to remember. He felt the blood between his fingers and he could feel the scars that resulted because of the beatings burning on his back. At the time it was just the way it was. Now we wondered what he did to cause his father to hurt him so badly. Daryl was so lost in the past abuse that he didn't hear his father actually approach him.<p>

"Fun times." Will smirked. He knew exactly what was going through his son's head. "Twenty years. That's how long it's been. You've allowed this place ta go ta wrack and ruin during that time. And now yer brother and ya just waltz back in 'ere now that the world has gone to pot. But yer gonna earn yer keep boy. Ya gonna bring home the food, fetch the water, chop the wood and get the crops growing again"

Daryl shrugged again. He was no longer scared of the old man before him. "Yeah I'll do all that. But not because ya just told me to but because it needs doin' if I'm gonna live here again and I don't expect anyone else ta do it."

Daryl walked away from his father with his head up high.


	6. Chapter 6

Daryl knew it would be a matter of time before what only can be described as zombies came. They had come in dribs and drabs but he, his father or Merle would show a fearless efficiency in killing them. He had set about trying to mend the fences and putting defenses in place to protect his family but he doubted it would do much good against a hoard. There was also so much work to be done to get the farm livable again but neither Merle or his father saw fit to help him.

Daryl had just come back from a hunt when he saw Merle kick a zombie in the face and his father was running away. Merle started to run too. Behind them was a large of hoard of zombies. Daryl knew that their time at what was his childhood home was up.

Will was beginning to slow down and knew he would be soon taken if he didn't put something between him and the zombies. As Merle nearly caught up with Will, Will struck him as hard as he could with his rifle. Merle was knocked to floor but he caught Will's leg which tripped him. If he was going to be a zombie's meal so was his father. The zombies had reached them and Daryl was running towards them with his crossbow. He took two of the zombies out in quick succession. It gave Merle time to get on his feet. His father was being mauled at by another zombie so Merle kicked the zombie hard and dragged his father away from the zombie's clutches.

"Start up the truck." Merle shouted to his brother. Daryl didn't hesitate to do what he was told. Merle turned to his father who was almost collapsing to the floor from the loss of blood. "Com' on ya lazy greasy chunky piece o shit. Get yer ass on this truck now!" Merle got Will on to the truck and then jumped on himself. He was glad that both he had kept the bike on the truck.

"I ain't gonna make it Merle." Will was suddenly frightened and Merle couldn't help but take delight in it. "They took my arm. They took my fuckin' arm." Will was weeping heavily now and Merle couldn't stand it. How times had he been whipped harder and longer for reacting to the pain of a whooping!

"Shut the fuck up" Merle snapped but cradled his father who he knew was going to die in his arms.

Will was slowing losing his energy and blackness suddenly descended on him. Merle didn't tell Daryl to stop the truck as their father faded away but wondered how to break it to his brother that their asshole father was out of their lives for good. Merle stopped holding his father's body and wiped a tear from his face. He didn't know why he was crying.

Daryl stopped the truck once there was enough distance between the truck and hoard of zombies. He got out to check on his father. "Is he gone?" Daryl asked as he looked down at his father's body.

"Yeah." Merle couldn't look at Daryl. Daryl felt the sting of tears coming to his eyes. Merle then said "He ain't worth crying for."

"Then why are we." Daryl was just as confused as Merle. "He didn't love us. Didn't pay attention unless it was to hit us."

"He's our father. We only had each other. Everyone else just look down at us. At least he didn't dump us in an orphanage." Merle reasoned.

"That's because he didn't take the trouble to." Daryl knew that for certain since he had run away for 9 days without his father noticing that he was gone. "We should bury him."

As Daryl said those words Will suddenly stirred. "I thought you said he was dead."

"He was. Oh Shit!" Merle saw the yellow in his father's eyes and then realised he had turned into one of them. His father unexpectedly tried to grab hold of him. "Shit. Shit. Shit. Get him off me!"

Daryl got hold of his father's arms and pulled them behind his father's back. Merle then grabbed the knife he always kept in his boot and stabbed his father in the head over and over again.

"Stop! Merle. Stop!" Daryl shouted at his brother after seeing his father's zombie form go limp. He knew that Merle was continuing to stab his father for the previous hurt that his father had inflicted on them. Daryl knew that Merle did the things he did because their father put them through hell.

Merle looked at his brother after realising what he was doing and then started to cry again. "I'm sorry Daryl. I shouldn't have tripped him. He would still be alive if I hadn't. I'm sorry."

Daryl took his brother in his arms and said "It ain't your fault and you'd be dead if you hadn't. He couldn't ever stop being a self-centred and mercenary bastard even in the end. It ain't your fault. If it was you lying here he wouldn't be sorry."

* * *

><p>Merle took over from driving the truck to allow Daryl to sleep. Again Daryl was having a nightmare of the horrific abuse he suffered at his father's hands. Merle once again felt guilt but as always buried it deep and would take something later to help him forget.<p>

Daryl woke up to the sound of screaming. He looked around and saw zombies attack a roadside makeshift camp. He saw Shane with Glenn and two other men trying to fight off the zombies. A woman was struggling to get free of the zombie that had a hold on her. Glenn gave a quick but hard knock to the zombie's head. A middle-aged man was trying to help two young women get into his trailer so they could be safe from the zombies. He saw a woman and boy huddle underneath a car together to escape being noticed. He saw a mother and daughter cower behind a large white man.

"We gotta stop!" Daryl turned to his brother.

Merle shook his head "No can do lil' bro we gotta keep goin'. Aint' nuthin' we can do for 'em. Survival of the fittest now."

An idea suddenly came to Daryl. He wouldn't appeal to his brother's decency but his greediness. "Go where Merle? We ain't got nuthin'. Left it at the farm. They gotta have supplies to be campin' out here. There's sumthin' in it for us if we help them now."

Merle chuckled "You would rob em? You? Damn this new world we live in sure changes people."

"Like ya said. Survival of the fittest." Daryl confirmed though he wondered if there was ever a time when they weren't just surviving.

Merle brought the truck to a stop and Daryl leapt out to help Shane and Glenn put an end to the zombies that were attacking them. Merle quickly waded in to protect Daryl.

Once they were free of the zombies, Lori came over to Daryl. "Thank you Daryl. You saved me and my boy's life." Lori hugged Daryl. "I know you didn't have to stop."

"You know me?" Daryl was confused. He recognised Lori from high school since they were in the same class together but he never thought he would be remembered in return. He was too much a scum bag to be remembered.

"Of course I do. I know you never spoke to anyone but when you left we missed you. Mr Richards had to have a go at some else then." Lori joked to release some tension.

"The only thing we missed was the stench." Shane was quick to interrupt the reunion.

"Can't you ever let it be?" Glenn spoke sharply to Shane and then looked apologetically at Daryl. "You just saved our butts. Thanks man."

"I owed you one." Daryl shrugged. "Where's Rick?"

"He was in a coma before any of this started. Do you have anywhere to go?" Glenn asked Daryl. "You can join us. We were doing pretty well up till now."

Daryl looked at Merle. He felt it was better if they left. Merle could never fit in with honest folk. But he knew what he said to Merle and that Merle would hold him to it. Shit it was rash but what else could he have done to get Merle's agreement to help

Merle as usual did the talking for him "We'd be glad ta except yer hospitality. Now Daryl why don't ya introduce me to yer new friends."

* * *

><p>Daryl and Merle had stayed with Shane's group for a week. Daryl couldn't allow himself to bond with the group. He knew that Merle was expecting to still rob them blind as soon as a better offer, like a biker gang, came along. But he did what he could for them without having to talk too much. He hunted and shared what he caught. He kept watch and often took more turns than he had to. He was a fearless fighter as far as the zombies were concerned. But he also protected the most vulnerable of the group from those who weren't genteel like Carol's husband Ed. He knew from his own past that it would be no good to tackle the fucker head on but when he saw Ed getting wound up he would play cards with the abusive bastard and the other asshole in the group, his brother.<p>

Daryl could see that Merle was getting restless of their new found company so he suggested to Merle that he go on supply runs with Glenn. He knew that Glenn was tough enough to stand Merle's insults. Daryl however would regret his suggestion tomorrow when Merle would disappear leaving only a hand behind him.


End file.
